Dr. Rubin was a nurse researcher, educator and historian. She was a 1954 diploma graduate of Lutheran Hospital School of Nursing in St. Louis; she received her BS and MS from Washington University in St. Louis and her
PhD in Physiology from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Illinois. She went on to become a Professor at St. Louis University School of Nursing. where she ultimately served as the Director of Research. Her legacy there includes a scholarship and a Sigma research award.
A true professional, Dr. Rubin was a member of varied organizations including the Midwest Nursing Research Society, Lutheran School of Nursing Alumni Association (LSN), American Nurses and Missouri Nurses Associations, and many others with a focus on science and physiology.
Dr. Rubin was passionate about nursing history and was instrumental in documenting the history of LSN and in collecting school memorabilia. As a member of Missouri Nurses Association, she provided the vision and impetus for the establishment of the Missouri Nurses Foundation. She saw the Foundation as an opportunity to further nursing research and scholarship by Missouri nurses as well as providing financial resources for nursing students. At Dr. Rubin’s urging, The Missouri Nurses Association established the Hall of Fame Award to recognize nurses who were leaders in service to all aspects of the nursing profession.
In the early 1990’s, Dr Rubin received the capstone to her career, The Faculty Fellow Award from NASA. She spent over two years, designing and conducting a biomedical research study regarding the effects of space travel on astronauts.
Truly, Dr Rubin exemplified the qualities the envisioned to be a member of Missouri Nurses Association Hall of Fame.
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